The MLB post season is just around the corner, football is in full swing and this weekend there was a veritable chill in the air. That can only mean one thing, it's time for some fall seasonals. We begin this year's batch with a new one from Anchor. Bigleaf Maple Red a 6% ABV ale brewed with caramel and pale malts, Nelson Sauvin, Citra, and Cascade hops, and a little bit of maple syrup. To the beer!
Bigleaf pours a very pretty, crystal clear, effervescent ruby red. My photo really doesn't do it justice. All of those bubbles feed into a tall, fluffy, layer of incredibly resilient white head.
Hop notes just burst out of the top of the glass on this one. Resiny floral hints are accompanied by plenty of fruitiness with notes of grapefruit, pineapple, and tangerine. The hop aromas are contrasted by a robust caramel, toffee malt character and the tiniest bit of what appears to be cinnamon.
Bigleaf is medium bodied but nice and rich. Just like on the nose the hops take the lead. A resiny bitterness is joined by fruity flavors of tangerine, grapefruit, and lemon. Sweet malty toffee attempts to balance. It does it's level best but at the end of the day the bitterness wins out. Some maple heartiness comes out before the robust bitter finish.
Bigleaf Red is quite nice in every way. Robust, Hearty, aromatic, nice and flavorful and a great kick off to this year's fall seasonals.
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